Crate Training Puppies

Question
I have two mutts that we got for free from a family that couldn't feed them.  We have been keeping the pups in a crate at night and when we are away from the house, this is working well for them.  Since they were small and from the same litter we have been keeping both pups in the same crate together, we think that it is time to get a larger crate because the pups are growing quickly.  Is it better to get two medium crates and separate the puppies into their own space or would it be better to buy a large crate and keep them together?

Answer
Most of the time it is better to have one crate per dog. If they are getting along well, you can crate them together, just as boarding facilities offer rooms for a "family" of multiple dogs to stay together. Just make sure they both have enough room to allow them to choose to sleep apart or together, and both can easily turn around without steppingon each other.   There are expandablecrates that have a divising wall that moves to make the crate longer as the dogs grow. You should also consider not using the crate, but leavint it there with the door open so they can seek solitude when desired, and roam/sleep in other parts of the room. We have 4 dogs and two crates, and found that leaving the older bigger dogs out reduced the night time potty problems of the small dogs.

regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC